Observation car with no swivel seats

[acelafan]

I've ridden Amtrak LD trains a pretty good amount, but today's southbound Coast Starlight has a new experience for me. I'm in the observation car but it only has tables. I thought they were all 50-50 tables and swivel seats.

Are there many lounge cars like this with only tables?

 

[user 14106]

That all table SSL used to run on the auto train I think. Now they are using former diners as lounges on auto train but for a while the all table SSL was in the pool for Auto train sleeper lounges.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I find it simpler and easier to sit with strangers when the seats are separated or in a row. Booths are treated more like personal space in American culture. I doubt I would enjoy this nearly as much, especially on a scenic route like the Coast Starlight, so if cars like this need somewhere to go can we put them on the Texas Eagle trains instead?

 

[acelafan]

Interesting, I've never been on the AT but makes sense. I agree with DA that booths are kind of like claiming turf. Plus for long stretches of scenery I liked gazing out windows from the seats. I mean, I'll make do.

 

[Cal]

From what I've heard this is the only one in this configuration.

 

[Trogdor]

If there was a decent way to prepare food in that car, that would make a great dining car substitute.

 

[tgstubbs1]

It looks like it could seat a lot of people.

 

[Seaboard92]

If there was a decent way to prepare food in that car, that would make a great dining car substitute.

That was my exact thought that this wouldn't be a half bad dining car set up at all. Just install a dumbwaiter and a kitchen down below and it would be golden.

 

[Steve4031]

On most trains the lounge is adjacent to the diner. One half of this car could act as an over flow for the diner.

it also would work better on the Texas Eagle.

 

[me_little_me]

That was my exact thought that this wouldn't be a half bad dining car set up at all. Just install a dumbwaiter and a kitchen down below and it would be golden.

Or install a dumb executive and put Hell below.

Sorry, I just can't abide those people.

 

[Seaboard92]

Or install a dumb executive and put Hell below.

Sorry, I just can't abide those people.

No if you want to give them hell on earth have them enforce the mask mandates.

 

[WWW]

I wonder with that EB accident and the loss of 1 SSL car if this is just a substitution that will be floating around in the consist mix
across the fleet -or- maybe Amtrak pulled a SSL off of the CS to use on the EB and pulled this odd ball total tables car out of mothballs ?

Consolation in the all tables car one does not have to crane ones neck to see what is going on - on the other side of the train ?

 

[Triley]

That was my exact thought that this wouldn't be a half bad dining car set up at all. Just install a dumbwaiter and a kitchen down below and it would be golden.

Don’t want people loligagging. Gotta keep tables moving in a diner! You know that.

 

[jis]

In my experience on the AT, at times the Sleeper Lounge was used as overflow tables space for the Diner, specially on heavily loaded days, back when the kitchen was adequately staffed to serve such. I have not traveled by the AT in over seven years so have no idea what it has now devolved into.

Since the amount of tint on my car windows could earn me a ticket in NJ I think my AT train riding days are more or less behind me.

 

[me_little_me]

Consolation in the all tables car one does not have to crane ones neck to see what is going on - on the other side of the train ?

But does require one to crane the neck to see something whizzing by before it disappears. The person facing forward does get an advanced view not available to the mis-crane-eants.

Def: mis-crane-eant - One who behaves oddly, often by breaking one's neck observing outside conduct or the law by facing backwards.

 

[user 14106]

In my experience on the AT, at times the Sleeper Lounge was used as overflow tables space for the Diner, specially on heavily loaded days, back when the kitchen was adequately staffed to serve such. I have not traveled by the AT in over seven years so have no idea what it has now devolved into.

Sinc the amount of tint on my car windows could earn me a ticket in NJ I think my AT train riding days are more or less behind me.

Still is - especially right now with limited tables available due to communal seating not allowed. Right now they are seating singles (such as myself) in the extra tables in the sleeper lounge and then one server handles those tables if you are on a train where they are doing in-diner service. On my recent trip I was in one of those tables but got excellent service. Sometimes if they are short staffed and it’s a really busy train they’re doing all meals delivered to your room.

 

[Seaboard92]

Don’t want people loligagging. Gotta keep tables moving in a diner! You know that.

And it's so hard to get some people to move too. I ran into that on my last dinner train. Of course I couldn't run some out because the kitchen dropped the ball too.

 

[Barb Stout]

I have read complaints here on Amtrak Unlimited that the Texas Eagle doesn't have an observation car anymore. What about the Sunset Limited? Does the SSL (still) have an observation car?

 

[zephyr17]

I have read complaints here on Amtrak Unlimited that the Texas Eagle doesn't have an observation car anymore. What about the Sunset Limited? Does the SSL (still) have an observation car?

Yes, it does.